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Ruling Party Denies Putting Pressure on TV

Neither Imedi TV, co-owned by tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili, nor freedom of speech in Georgia is under threat, Giga Bokeria, an influential lawmaker from the ruling party, said at a news conference on October 11.


Badri Patarkatsishvili and opposition leaders said on October 10 that pressure was being exerted by the authorities on Imedi TV.


Bokeria said that the opposition was in need of a new focus – in this case the defense of freedom of speech  – now that the Okruashvili deck of cards had collapsed.


?Okruashvili?s case, which was coordinated by our political opponents and Patarkatsishvili, has failed,? he said. ?Now, they decided to fabricate something new and this very dignified idea about protecting freedom of speech has hit their minds.?


He said their new campaign was ?opposition hysteria.?


?I want to make it clear and give a personal guarantee and one on behalf of the authorities, that this is absurd,? Bokeria said. ?There is no threat either to freedom of speech or to Patarkatsishvili?s television station.?


He said he found it amusing that freedom of speech was suddenly synonymous with Imedi TV.


?Our political opponents always have an opportunity to address the people through any other Georgian media source as well,? he said. ?If our opponents like one particular TV channel and it is Patarkatsishvili?s, I want to tell them: you can swear against the authorities for twenty-four-hours. It’s in our interests that you continue doing this. It poses no danger.?


He also said it was morally problematic for Patarkatsishvili ? ?a person involved in numerous scandals? ? to talk about freedom of speech.


?We all remember that his right hand man ? Mr. Lugovoy ? is accused by Great Britain of murdering [Alexander Litvinenko],? Bokeria said.


Referring to opposition plans to hold a mass protest rally outside Parliament on November 2, he said that they were free to protest anytime they wanted.


?There is no problem. Georgia is building a democracy and there will always be peaceful rallies,? Bokeria said.

He also said that yesterday was an important day because Badri Patarkatsishvili “had finally come out openly onto the Georgian political scene.”

Patarkatsishvili said on October 10 the current ?difficult situation? in the country could force him to go into politics.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)

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